Chain connecter



Ocf. 23, 1928. Y

J. T. HUTTON CHAIN CONNECTER Filed Dec. 8, 1927 ll". HLLH 1: n

weren- STATES;

"PATENTTOFFICEL JAMES "HUT'ION, OF FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO.

CHAIN GONNVECVTEB.

Application filed December 8, 1927. Serial No. 238,608.:

vide a device of this'character so constructed I!) that it can be positively maintained in its operative position to prevent accidental disengagement of the chain from the tire, the construction and arrangement being such that the connecter can be easily and quickly manipulated to permit the chain'to be removed and replaced ona tire.

In the accompanying drawing: a Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of a skid chain showing the connecter in place 9 thereon, one of'the connecters being in its operative position and theother about to be placed in its operative position.

7 Figure 2 is aside elevation of one of the connecters. V v

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view ofa chain and a connecter showing it in place upon a Lil section of tire.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4. 4: of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is asectional View of Figure 1.

The connecters, two of which are employed, consist of a plate 1 having an offset Qprovided with an opening 3, the purpose of which will be later explained. Thisplate has a keeper 4: adjacent'one end and a diagonally disposed open-ended slot 5 adjacent its other end. advance of the slot 5 is a headed stud 6.

,Cooperative with the plate 1 is a locking, lever 7 which has formed adjacent'onev end thereof a longitudinal slot 8 which opens at each end into laterally disposed recesses 9 an d 9, said slot being slidably and pivotally engaged with the stud6.

The lever is also, provided with a diagonally disposed open-ended slot 10, the purpose of which will later appear. a

The anti-skid chain includes side chains 11 having one of their terminals connected to the ends of the plates 1, as at 12, there on line 55 being diagonally disposedchain sections 13 connecting the side chains, the links of the innermost sections being secured in the open- Carried by the plate 1 in ings 3 of the offset 2. The other terminals of the chains11l1 are provided with open links 14 of such size as tofreely receive the lever 7 in order that the connecters will unite the terminalsof the side chains1111.

In Figure 1 one of the connecters is shown locked, or in its operative position, while the other connecter is shown in one of its positions during the connecting operation. To connect the terminals of the side chains 1111 the levers are swung to positions to permit the links 1% to engage thereover, after which the levers are swung towards the plates 1 in order that the links Wlll enter the slots 5 and owing to the diagonal posi- 4 I are substantiallyparallel with the plates 1,

whereupon said levers are moved forwardly until the studs engage the recess 9 and at which time the free ends of the levers have not entered the keepers 4. To engage the levers with the keepers the levers are slid rearwardly so that thefree ends thereof will enter'the keepers, thus preventing accidental swinging of said'levers. hen the levers are engaged with the keepers the studs will engage in the recesses 9 which will prevent the levers from sliding forward. In addi tion to the recesses'9, coa cting recesses and projections 15 and 16 are provided, respectively, upon the plates and levers and interlocked in a well known manner.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

A connecter for the terminals of chains of the-class described, comprising a plate having a keeper carried thereby, a lever having a slot formedtherein provided at its ends with lateral recesses, a stud carried by the plate for pivotally and slidahly engaging said slot and capable of seating in the recesses for pivotal movement, said plate and'lever having diagonally disposed openended slots formed therein for receiving the lin :s'of a chain terminal, said lever being slidable relative to the plate for engagement with the keeper carried thereby,

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES T. HUTTON, {as} 

